USA TODAY International Edition
Stephenson has strategy vs. James
In renewed rivalry with superstar, Pacers guard says pressure is key
No matter the role, Indiana Pacers guard Lance Stephenson is content to be wearing an NBA uniform.
“I’m just happy I’m playing, happy I’m on the court with a playoff team,” Stephenson said this week in Cleveland.
Stephenson was an integral part of the Pacers teams that went to back- to- back conference finals in 2013 and 2014. Both times Indiana ran into LeBron James, whose streak of six consecutive NBA Finals appearances is ongoing, and the Miami Heat.
Now, facing a 2- 0 deficit in the first round and a different Jamesled team — the Cleveland Cavaliers — Stephenson is saying all the right things.
“It’s the playoffs. The playoffs get me hyped, wanting to get up every day and play each day,” he told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s not just because of LeBron.”
Stephenson was hesitant to engage the topic of James, perhaps given his infamous ear- blowing incident in the 2014 Eastern Conference finals. But the reality is Stephenson was a pest on the defensive end then, and he remains an irritant, to a lesser degree, to James and his teammates.
Despite his circuitous NBA path, Stephenson was one of only a handful of players who ever had a chance at slowing James. Aside from being physical, what’s Stephenson’s strategy?
“You just gotta tame him,” Stephenson said. “He’s playing so well right now. His jump shot has really improved. Just gotta get into him, make him pass the ball. Make his teammates make decisions.”
Stephenson, eight games into his second tenure with the Pacers, is cautious when interacting with the media, perhaps wary of saying the wrong thing. But his opinions matter because there’s an understanding that he’s not a typical reserve. Just ask Paul George, who levied praise and criticism in Stephenson’s direction after Indiana’s Game 2 loss to Cleveland.
“He’s gotta learn to control himself. He’s gotta learn to just be in the moment,” George said. “Lance, in our locker room, is looked upon as a leader, one of our leaders. His body language has to improve, just for the team. We all know Lance is an emotional guy. A lot of it is just his heart and his competitiveness that that emotion comes out on.”
Stephenson slammed the ball out of frustration in the third quarter Monday as the Cavs continued to exploit him on the defensive end. He also talked trash to Kyrie Irving, which backfired when the Cleveland point guard tallied 37 points.
Stephenson is a lightning rod, equally capable of sparking his team in either direction. That the Pacers, and George in particular, felt they needed someone to bring energy and toughness to their team says as much about Stephenson as it does about the state of the Pacers. And if they’re going to rally in their first- round series, they’re going to need Stephenson to channel his emotions.
That’s not to say they don’t want him to be himself.
“Just letting me play, letting me play without thinking,” Stephenson said of why the Pacers are a good fit. “Think a lot of teams had me playing, just think- ing too much. I got here, just be yourself. Let me play through mistakes. Don’t sub me for every little mistake. They’re just letting me be myself.”
Stephenson has had stints with the Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves since 2014. Typically a player has only so many chances to get serious traction in the NBA, but Stephenson’s talent is as evident as his antics.
In the two games vs. the Cavaliers, Stephenson is averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 54% from the field.
The enigmatic guard, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Pacers, began this season with the Pelicans. His year went awry when he suffered a groin injury and was released. In February, he had a workout with Cleveland and left an impression with coach Tyronn Lue. At that time, the Cavaliers had no idea they’d be facing Stephenson in the postseason.
“Just off the injury he came off of and to see him perform the way he did, I thought he was really solid,” Lue said of the workout. “I like Lance, and I’m glad to see him get a shot.”
But before landing a threeyear, $ 12 million deal in late March with the Pacers, Stephenson signed two 10- day contracts with the Minnesota Timberwolves in an effort to latch on somewhere. It was Pacers President Larry Bird who finally helped Stephenson find a more permanent home.
“( Bird) believing in me, being that he was such a great player,” Stephenson said. “Him believing in me, giving me that confidence and letting me be myself. I feel like him doing that for me is making me a better player.”
“His jump shot has really improved. Just gotta get into him, make him pass the ball. Make his teammates make decisions.” Pacers guard Lance Stephenson, referring to Cavaliers star LeBron James